Top 10 Films – Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks, an actor that everyone who loves film would have some form of affiliation with is a fantastic actor that over a period of roughly 20 years was involved in some cinema’s finest and best loved pictures, a purple patch that many actors could only dream of!. During his time in the industry Hanks has won 2 Oscars for his marvellous performances in two widely different films in Forrest Gump and Philadelphia all the while being nominated for countless other performances and other film related acknowledgements. While Hank’s output has in the last 10 years slightly diminished Cloud Atlas and more specifically Captain Phillips have seen a Hanks-naissance that is showing us all again just how talented an actor he is.

Below is a list that represents the man’s films as a best of and is in no means meant to reflect solely his performance in that picture (hence on personal judgement no Philadelphia) but the movie as a whole. In a career that features a stunning variety of genres and downright classics it was no easy task but for better or worse here are the 10 films that stand out most to me personally.

Hanks played many roles in the Sci-Fi epic Cloud Atlas

10. Cloud Atlas (2012)

Hanks plays – various

The Wachowski Siblings (there no longer brothers people!) and Tom Tykwer’s U.S box office bomb and critically misunderstood movie is also one of the most unique and affecting Sci-Fi’s of the last decade. A film filled with perhaps to many ideas and strands it is still a film that harbors much beauty, many a fine performance and one of the best accompanying musical scores ever committed to screen. If you missed this one track is down now!

9. Apollo 13 (1995)

Hanks plays – Jim Lovell

Ron Howard’s dramatization of the real life Apollo 13 incident is a great example of workmanlike filmmaking that has a great script, memorable performances by its seasoned cast and enough heart to fill dozens of other films. In a film that could’ve had much grandstanding and manipulation Apollo 13 stayed rightfully grounded in reality.

8. Captain Phillips (2013)

Hanks plays – Captain Richard Phillips

Some may argue that the dust has not yet settled enough on this film to include it in this list but the facts are Greengrass’s tense and finely crafted thriller features a tour de force performance from Hanks and features some nail biting filmmaking that many would strive yet never achieve. The last ten minutes of this film must surely rank with some of the most powerful of recent cinema.

7. Road to Perdition (2002)

Hanks Plays – Michael Sullivan

In American Beauty director Sam Mendes follow up Hanks plays an against type role of mobster worker Michael Sullivan and what we get is one of the best gangster films made that acts also as a fine example of a father and son bond featuring great all round acting (including screen legend Paul Newman) and some stunning cinematography work from the late great Conrad L. Hall.

6. The Green Mile (1999)

Hanks plays – Paul Edgecomb

Frank Darabont knows a thing or two about Steven King and prison movies and his 3 hour epic The Green Mile is a touching and unique take on the two that offered up new comer Michael Clarke Duncan a chance to act beside the seasoned Hanks in what turned out to be one of the more memorable on screen duos of the 90’s.

Hanks in Sam Mendes’s at times beautiful gangster flick Road To Perdition

5. Big (1988)

Hanks plays – Josh

If you needed any proof of Hanks on screen charm carrying and making a movie more the sum of its parts then Big is the perfect option for you. An 80’s classic that has smarts and personality to spare Big is entertaining movie of the highest order that officially marked Hanks as one of the world’s biggest stars.

4. Toy Story (1995)

Hanks voices – Woody

Pixar’s announcement to the film world is a charming much loved animation classic that produced another 2 quality entries in the series. While Pixar’s then ground-breaking CGI was a major factor in its success Hanks great voice work as cowboy Woody can’t be denied also. One for the whole family!

3. Cast Away (2000)

Hanks plays – Chuck Noland

Re-teaming with his Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis Hanks’s virtually one man show Cast Away is a movie that makes you feel emotion for a volleyball and therefore is a movie with a rare power. Stories of survival and the will to live have barely been done better and Hank’s committed both emotionally and physically turn is a sight to behold.

2. Forrest Gump (1994)

Hanks plays – Forrest Gump

Truly nothing needs to be said about this 1990’s classic which has seeped into popular culture in more ways that could of ever been predicted, a fact highlighted by its current sitting at number 14 on the IMDB Top 250. A journey that every film lover deserves to see and whilst manipulative and arguable over-sentimental there is no denying the power of this particular tale of love, war and triumph over adversity.

1. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Hanks plays – Captain Miller

Steven Spielberg’s stunning war movie is a film that features a vast collection of solid performances and filmmaking quality’s and the film has the ability to make you laugh, cry and feel every bullet of the battle which is all backed up by a charismatic and underplayed performance by Hanks. A true classic and possibly the greatest war movie ever produced.

As Captain Miller Hanks displayed a wide range of acting traits in an overall stunning war film

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75 responses to “Top 10 Films – Tom Hanks”

I agree that all on the list are great movies. Almost too many from his career to choose from. My “one that didn’t make the list” (and one you did mention, though) is “Philadelphia.” Enjoyed reading your list!

Great list! Of that group, I liked Saving Private Ryan best, and Road to Perdition was my favorite “idea” of a movie he was in, I thought it could have been a better movie, but great to see him, Jude and Newman at the top of their game. Well, it was a great movie, it pissed me off that he (spoiler alert!) got shot and died. Freaking great list!

I had the fortune to see Pvt Ryan with very few in the theater (I always plan these things). I walked out of the theatre stunned. Top echelon of war movies (Platoon my fave) and of all movies. Definitive D-Day? Me thinks so.

I found it to be a bit dull up to the village battle. I did sort of like the appearance of Dylan Bruno briefly, and I liked that Sniper Guy as well as showing how horrible people can be when they want to execute that German bloke, but for most of it, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. I do sometimes watch it when it’s on TV though.

I did my own top 10 on Hanks not too long ago and think I had Philadelphia and Saving Mr. Banks (no love for Walt?) instead of Atlas and The Green Mile. I despise Cloud Atlas, but otherwise our lists were pretty simliar. Awesome job!

Road to Perdition was ten times the film I was expecting it to be. Gritty and grim, but gorgeously shot, and not without its own dark humor. I would have to add ‘Joe vs the Volcano’ to my list. Kind of a guilty pleasure, but the whole thing is so quotable and fun. Solid list, though. And I agree with you on ‘Cloud Atlas’, muchly underappreciated. Also: ‘Dragnet’.

Do so Eddie! Hanks really projected his “job” in that movie, the acting was top shelf. Daniel Craig before he became 007 (my personal all-time hero) Stanley Tucci, Newman. I wish they would have shown more hits before he turned “outlaw” outlaw.

Really surprised Road to Perdition was on this list, because Hanks was the only reason the movie was bearable for me. I think Green Mile should have been the third personally, but at least you got Ryan and Forrest Gump in the one-two slots.

This is a good list. One that I would include is his 2004 “The Terminal,” also directed by Spielberg. It didn’t get the buzz it should have, but Hanks was great in it. For some reason it has always stuck with me.
Joan

Sorry had a few glitches there! Great list although I would put Philidelphia in my top 3. I loved cloud atlas and saw it 3 times at the cinema. Tom hanks was part of my childhood with films like splash and turner hooch which I have a great soft spot for, but wouldn’t add them to the list. I can’t argue to much with yours!

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